Tails from the Tarheel State

The HULK, Astro Boy, & "Blue"

2011-06-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

The HULK!
Gabriel actually makes a muscle and
says, "Hulk!" His Daddy taught him that.

Gabriel aka The HULK brought
Astro Boy over to me and informed
me that he needed a diaper.
I made one from toilet paper
and tape;) I don't want any
accidents from Astro Boy. Ha ha!!

See. "Astro Boy. Diaper"

I came out of the bedroom one day
and Chet was cleaning the floor with
a wet wipe. When I asked him what he
was doing he told me he was
"cleaning up pee pee," that either belonged
to our son or to his [toy] T-Rex. LOL!

A few months back Gabriel learned
the word, diarrhea, and now
he's pretty sure everyone, including toys,
has "diarrhea poo poo."

Gabriel got 10 stickers on his
good behavior chart/fish so
he got to pick out a fish at
the pet store.
It's hard to see but it's there.
It WAS a blue Betta Fish but
now it's the color Red. Not
quite sure how that happened
but we are still calling the fish "Blue"
because that is the name Gabriel gave him:)

The Baby Goat

2011-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

NC Festival Petting Zoo
May 2011

The petting zoo was free which was a good
thing because it's all Gabriel wanted to do;)
As it turns out my son loves Goats, Cows,
Sheep, Goats, and Goats.
He was just so excited to see
and impersonate them.
Ask Gabriel to make a Goat sound
the next time you see him.
I guarantee he will not disappoint;)

This adorable baby Goat
decided to "eat" Gabriel's shirt.

Sorry for the blurry and out of focus
shots-I was not prepared for an
animal to eat my sons clothing;)

Best part of the day:
Gabriel is at the dinner table
reenacting how the baby Goat tried
to eat his shirt. When we asked him
about the Goat he said,
"Goat bite my boobies."
HILARIOUS!!

Being a parent certainly has it's perks:)
We haven't been without dinner time
entertainment in a looong time...LOL!

5-8 Mother's Day

2011-06-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2011

I started off the morning by waking up really early.
Chet told me to go back to bed. I went back to bed and
read & relaxed (a new thing for me). He told me
he was going to make a coffee/breakfast run but then
I heard the front door open 10 minutes later.
It turns out the car battery was dead.
My darling husband thought we could both PUSH a
Honda Odyssey to the end of the driveway
so that the jumper cables from the Explorer would
reach. Ha! We couldn't budge that van a half inch. LOL!
*This wasn't the mom's day I had in mind.*
We finally got it worked out & he and the boys left.

They came back with yummy bagel sandwiches,
Starbucks, & treats. We all piled in the bed and
had a big breakfast.
*Gabriel & Liam+ pastries = a bed full of crumbs*

Gabriel made me a re-usable shopping
bag that he colored himself. I will
take a pic and post later.

Liam & Gabriel.

Mommy & her darling boys.
While the boys were out shopping
I had recorded myself (on cassette tape)
telling each of them, including Chet,
how much I love them:)
I never want their to be any doubt
that they are my everything.

We ended the day by seeing the
movie, Rio. Gabriel & mommy had already
been to see it in 3D but Gabriel loves
it and talks about it so much we went again.
Liam is not a movie guy. He is restless and can
only sit for about 10 minutes, at most.
Gabriel on the other hand, can sit still
and happy for the entire movie AND
previews. Mommy and Gabriel
love movies!!

Then & "Now" Halloween

2011-05-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Gabriel then (2009)

Gabriel now (2010)

Liam then 2009

Liam now (2010)

Gabriel & Liam now (2010)

Our happy little family now (2010)

The idea behind this post:
For some reason when I sat down
at the computer Picassa was open to
Halloween pictures of Gabriel in 2009 &
I thought to myself...wow, he's grown!
I thought it would be fun to do a
comparison of then and "now."

May 7, 2011 Our Neighbors Garden

2011-05-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Gardening

Our neighbor, Sue, asked if we
wanted to plant things in their new
garden. I laughed. I do not have a green thumb.
I suggested we plant Pumpkin Seeds for
the boys so that is our "contribution" to
the garden;) Here we are planting
the seeds with Sue & her son, James.

James is Gabriel's new best friend.
We play outside with him most sunny evenings
and we've had him over for play dates.
Gabriel will ask to go outside and play
with "Jimms" from the time he wakes up.
The way he says James is too cute
for words. I am so glad we have
neighbors that we like really well:)

We put the seeds in the hole &
Liam took them out. Silly Liam!

Gabriel is always eager to help.

He really got into it!
I had to keep my eye on Liam
but Gabriel continued helping Sue put
seeds in the holes and covering them
up with dirt. He took his duty of
covering and patting the soil
very seriously.

Peace, Love, and Blog.

2011-05-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

We are now up to date on our blog
from January to May.

You have to scroll all the way down
and work you way up. I'm sorry I
don't know how to post-date entries:(

When I used the "blog this" tool on
Picassa it used to only let me upload
4 pics at a time so I assumed it hadn't
changed and that is why so many
events are broken up into multiple entries.
Sorry!

April 2011 End of the month

2011-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Gabriel talking to Grama.

Brothers.

Don't feed the Monkeys!

No Banana for you little Monkey!

Egg hunt in our yard (after Easter).

Just for fun.

Already getting a jump start
on next years competition;)

April 23-24, 2011 Easter Weekend

2011-05-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2011

The Ku Ku Bird Pinata.

Gabriel had a book from the library
called, Hippo Goes Bananas.
Hippos are probably his favorite
animal because of this book that,
we read EVERY night waaay past
the due date (seriously I owe big for the fines!).
In the book there is a Ku Ku Bird and
because of this we bought this Pinata
at the party store thinking it would
fit in with our theme of
"all G & L's favorite things."
It was the old fashioned
kind that requires you to bash
it in to get the candy-you know
what I'm talking about, right?
We got it home and hung it up and
first thing Gabriel said, with much
enthusiasm, was "Ku Ku Bird!"
He then started telling the story.
We knew right then that we couldn't
allow the children to beat him open.
We saved it and I turned it into a pull-string.
The boys were pretty happy to start their
day out with a bird full of candy;)

We had some birthday money & returns
that we turned into a sand "box."
Gabriel can sit and dig and sift sand
for, what seems like, forever.
I hid little plastic dinosaurs in there
so that they could pretend they
were Paleontologists on a dig.

You can't see it in the picture but G.
picked out a magnifying glass from the
toy section and had been using it
EVERYWHERE, including in the
sandbox. He would pretend to see
letters & colors & animals & more.
He's an imaginative little guy.

Easter

Liam has learned the art of hiding
things from his big brother...ha ha ha!!!

Jordan Lake

I said he eat everything...didn't I?;)

This was the first time Liam
had been to the beach besides when he was
a tiny new baby. He had a blast!

Liam was babbling/talking &
making a bunch of cute noises.
I told Chet that he was having a
conversation with himself and
chet replied...
"He's actually having a convo. with his shoe."

They are in the same place at
the same time...quick...
take a picture!

Still talking to his shoe.

Gabriel writing, "I heart mommy."
Aaaah, thanks little Man Cub;)

Just a few days before Easter we took
both boys to the Pediatrician because
they had ongoing colds/coughs/runny noses.
As it turns out Liam had dbl ear infection.
A day or two later we found 4 teeth coming
coming "in." Poor little guy:(
He was on antibiotics but was still sicky
so we didn't want to expose other kids
and therefore turned down invites
to egg hunts and Easter events.
We thought taking them out to the lake
would be calm and there would be few people
We were so wrong!
It was crowded and we had to move
to another beach because of it.
So, despite the crowds and not
feeling well my boys had a great day:)

April 17, 2011 Zoo

2011-05-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

After our morning egg hunt we
went to the Zoo!

There was a volunteer group
making drums out of recycled
buckets. Gabriel "made" this
drum and wore it for quite a
while banging away.

The woman who ran the kids
music group said that he had
great "rhythm" and encouraged
us to get him into music lessons.

Gabriel has always loved music
and dancing. He actually does
have pretty good rhythm for a kid
his age. He must get it from his daddy;)
Well, now that I think about it...
I bet he gets his awesome dance
ability/moves from me...LOL!

Liam made a shaker from a pill
bottle and some beans.

Simple pleasures.

He has the cutest giggle my
ears have ever heard!

Liam will eat anything & everything!
He's always hungry and eats whatever you offer.
It's nice to have one boy that eats;)

This is Liam enjoying the Carousel.

This is Liam expressing just how
much he's enjoying it.

This is mommy holding Liam while he
watches his brother enjoy the Carousel;)

This is Gabriel riding on his Zebra.

He's happy riding the Carousel.
He didn't used to be but now he is a big fan.

This is Liam's subtle way of telling us 2+
hours at the Zoo is enough and he's done!

Subtle was not doing the trick
so he turned it up.

Mommy and Daddy were so
thrilled that the day was so gorgeous
they wanted to stay and play...ha ha ha!!!
Gabriel was sleeping in the stroller by the end
and Liam, well, all he wanted to see was
the interior of the car & his carseat;)

One other fun thing Gabriel and I did
was the Dora 4 movie.
Gabriel was a fan of Dora & Swiper
from that day forward.

April 17, 2011 Egg Hunt

2011-05-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Gabriel got a Leaptop (aka Laptop)
from one of his party guests, Hannah.

Gabriel is doing his "work" while
daddy does his work in the background.

Listening to his emails from daddy.

Easter Egg Hunt at our
neighborhood park, American Village.

I got up early to help my neighbors hide eggs.

Liam is ready to go.

Where is his basket?

Gabriel really got into the hunt this year!

Mommy hid that one!
I might have helped him find them...
shhh, don't tell;)

The Easter Bunny made an appearance
AND brought toys for the kids.

Gabriel going through his basket.

Liam

2011-05-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Over breakfast I was re-telling Chester
a story of how I did something really
dumb and how I felt foolish.
I sighed and put my hands on my head.
Just then Liam put his hands to his head.
It made us both smile & laugh.
That little guy can turn any bad day
into a good day with his smile and
silly little antics.

Just an ordinary day...

2011-05-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

We watch the trailer (sp?) for the new
documentary about Orangutans...

About 12 times and WITH
our Orangutan puppet, George.

George recognizes his family members
in the documentary trailer & he can't
wait to go see the full movie with us;)

Then we get ready for breakfast.

We happily eat our waffles:)

We say we are done and...

move on to playing with toys.

We can't find pants but we do
have this perfectly good box
to hide in so we go ahead and do that;)

Gabriel asks where he is, in hopes
that we will "find" him but Liam
is no fool and immediately
takes the box off his head.
His fun is now over.

Brothers will be brothers;)

March 26, 2011 Birthday Party!!

2011-05-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

March 26, 2011

MORE pictures!

Just some facts for our records:

We had 14 kids & 19 adults at the party.

We ate:
Coleslaw
Fruit
Deviled Eggs
Brisket sandwiches (my Moms...yum!)
Chips & Dip
Candy
Popcorn
Cupcakes (w/candy & sprinkles)

We drank:
Soda
Chocolate Milk
Juice Boxes

We entertained ourselves with:
Decorating Cupcakes
Playing with Toys
Pulling the string on the Pinata
Eating!

Note:
We didn't get to face painting OR
pin the tale on the donkey OR
Twister

What was I thinking?! I planned way too much.
It was chaotic & crazy & FUN!

The party is over and the guests have gone home.
Gabriel is now decorating a cupcake.

Did I mention that one of his FAVORITE
things is sprinkles?;) We learned this as far
back as December when I put x-mas
sprinkles in his oatmeal;)

I got a text one day from Chet that said,
"BTW, 'Pizza' = sprinkles."
For the longest time we thought Gabriel
was asking for Pizza & then "pieces."

Totally happy in his own
world of sugar:)

Liam is in his zone.
He is so happy with his new train(s).

Thanks Braeden for the new Choo Choo.
Liam is having a blast!!

Just one more. I can't help myself;)

Quite possible the best picture EVER!
On the left side is my Mom &
on the right side is Gabriel.
My mom took Gabriel downstairs
to watch a movie on the couch.
It was late and he should have been
sleeping but it was his party and
my mom's last night so I let them
have their fun. At about 2am I woke up
and looked for Gabriel. I thought for sure
I would find him in our bed, curled
up beside me, like always.
I crept downstairs to find he and
my mom completely zonked out
on the couch. I had to take a
picture of the pair of them.

Gabriel LOOOOVES his Grama!!

I turned off the TV and left them sleeping.

My Mom took us shopping
for party supplies and every time
I turned around I found the boys with
more garb on their bodies, including,
this awesome hat. We left the store with
this hat, bead necklaces, things that lit up,
and a bunch of other non essentials.
My Mom is quite possible the wackiest
and most fun Grama around;)

PS Gabriel loves this silly hat;)

March 26, 2011 Birthday Party!!

2011-05-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

March 26, 2011

More Birthday pictures.

Gabriel is digging into his cake.

Liam "smiled" for one picture;)
That is cake on my face, neck, & collar/shirt.

Gabriel's friends, the Petersons & Kubiks,
started an impromptu dance party
in the living room. So naturally...
Gabriel got his groove on!

Check out those moves!

We had a CARS pinata. I can't believe there
is no picture of Gabriel. Oh well:(
The little boy in Red in our neighbor, James.
They had only recently moved in & we
didn't know them well but now
Gabriel & James are best buds:)

There were a lot of gifts to open.
I think Chet & I were more excited
to see what was under the paper but
once they were open Gabriel was
excited to play with them.

Liam was sleeping so he didn't open his
gifts at the same time.

If all Gabriel got for his birthday was
dum dum suckers (aka lollipops)
he would be a happy boy.
The theme of our party was
ALL the boys' favorite things:
Dinosaurs
Thomas the Train
Cars
Nemo
John Deer Tractor
(Gabriel's first real word was, "tractor")
Dum Dum "lollipops" [in a Cars pinata]
Blueberries (for Liam)

M&M's [to decorate cupcakes]

Our good friend & the boys' "Aunt Catie."
We LOVE her so much!
She is a great friend and has been so good
to my boys and to our family.

We moved 2 minutes away from her
because we like her so much;)

Grama, Gabriel, & Mommy.
The only thing missing is Liam who
is sleeping soundly upstairs.

Liam is awake and helping open his gifts.

We had a train table with only a
few trains that were always lost.
When the Welch's asked what the
boys wanted/needed I told them
that they would love more trains.
The trains are Liam absolute favorite
toys and he plays at the train
table like it's his job;)
I cannot stress enough how much he
enjoyed the trains that the Welch's
bought for he and Gabriel!!
Our little Liam is a train fanatic!
It is so syrupy sweet to hear him say,
"choo choo,"

March 26, 2011 Birthday Party!!

2011-05-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

March 26, 2011

Gabriel & Liam
celebrate their Birthdays!

Our family motto is...
better late than never!
We had a lot going on in January & Grama
couldn't come visit any sooner so
we decided to have their party
on the weekend of her visit.

If we had tried to do it ourselves
I am afraid what the outcome would
have been because she did
A LOT for the party & pretty
much bought all the supplies and food.
Thanks MOM!!

The party is just starting and
already Liam is pooped:(

The candles are lit and we are about to sing.

It was strange to sing to both boys.
I had to first point to Liam and then
to Gabriel so we got them both in the song.
Next year we will sing to each of
them separately so they each feel celebrated.

Gabriel had John Deer Tractor cake.

Liam had a Nemo cake.

Mommy tried to get him to put his
hand in it and take a big bite but...
He was tired and cranky.

And now really upset.

I then picked him up & he smeared
the cake all over my neck and face.

He was so tired I put him to bed.

March 2011 2 cuties

2011-05-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of cuties.

Liam's first popsicle.
He would rather stick his
fingers or food in my mouth.

Life in NC.
Gotta have a John Deer to fit in;)

Liam is our little dare devil.
He can ride this tractor...kind of.
He's fearless and tough.

I'm trying to remember how far
back it started (Feb?) when
Gabriel started answering
EVERY question with...
"SURE!"
Chet and I thought it was adorable!
We also thought it was a one-time thing.
We were wrong. From then on ALL
questions were answered the same way...
"SURE!"
Gabriel could talk pretty clearly at
this time but every once in a while
we'd ask for clarification.
Here is how it would go:
Gabriel: "cake...blah blah blah?"
Me: "Did you say you want cake?"
Gabriel: "SURE!"
So, our son mastered the art
of making our clarifications
into suggestions where he would
then answer, "sure", as if we were
talking him into it.

He's a crack up!

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Day 4

Natural History Museum

Chet went with Liam back to the car
to change his diaper and
re-park in a paid garage. He lost
his phone and had no way of
reaching Gabriel & myself.
I called him a few times and was getting
worried when I turned around and
he and Liam were standing
behind us. HOW did they
find us in that huge museum?!
I still find that impressive.

While it was just Gabriel & myself
we went to see the Dinosaurs and
I've never had so much FUN
looking at Dinosaurs in my
entire life as I did with my son on
this day! He knew the names &
got so excited when we saw them.
He attracted some attention, as I'm
sure you can imagine;) People were
so impressed that he knew Dino. names
and told me repeatedly how "cute"
he was & how sweet his little voice sounded.
I was overflowing with pride!
My son was well behaved, interested,
talkative, expressive, knowledgeable,
and just adorable (had to say it!).

After visiting the Zoo it was
strange to see stuffed animals but
the boys thought they were neat.
Gabriel is doing his Lion(?)
impression...I think.
We saw a Lion at the Zoo
standing up on a big rock
ROARING and it was all
roaring from Gabriel after that;)

It's about to storm.

Gabriel got a toy Zebra from the
gift shop and he carried it all day.
He loves animals!
He especially loves Safari animals.

We were walking on the gravel trail
up the Mall and Gabriel
had his Zebra in his hand. He
was making it "walk" along the path.
The toy Zebra was "eating"
rocks and dirt. There was no
fish in sight but suddenly.
He started shouting, "Nemo!"

He then went on and on about Nemo
being lost and Daddy and...
It was HILARIOUS!!
People walking by were entertained but
not as much as we were.
He's such a dramatic kid!
I love this about him.

Liam in the stroller
taking the opportunity to further
prove to his parents that he
is the BEST baby in the world!
He's so chill. He's so happy.
He's so loving. He's such a joy!

There we are again...
the "typical American family"...LOL!

Mommy wearing Liam in
the Hotsling carrier...love it!

All in all it was a great trip!
We crammed a lot of fun into
4 days & Chet did well
at his poster presentation.

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Day 4

Old Post Office
Observation Tower

This is Gabriel's fake "afraid" expression.

Apparently these wires are not
meant to have a toddler pressed
against them as we were
sternly told by the man in
the booth:( He actually told us
small children had slipped through,
which made Chet and I wonder why
they could allow people to
visit the observation deck with
such faulty construction.
Okay guy, we get it...we are bad parents.

Gabriel & Mommy.

A couple from [France?] asked
if they could take a picture
of our family because...
we are a "typical American family."
Those were her exact words.
Uhm, okay, I guess.

Liam & Daddy.

3 handsome guys:)
This picture makes me happy.

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Day 3

A swim in the hotel pool.

Gabriel is our water baby for sure!

I'm not sure who likes playing
in the water more...
*ME* or Gabriel...LOL!

He is so much fun to splash around with.
He loves being "thrown" up in the air.

Liam in his swim diaper...
I think we forgot to pack shorts.

Liam did actually swim w/mommy
and have a great time but
somehow we didn't get pictures.

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Day 3

National Zoo

Since Chet was at his conference all day
I was alone with the boys. I was very
proud of myself for not getting lost &
having a pretty successful &
enjoyable day at the Zoo w/no help.

So I ran over Gabriel with the
dbl BOB stroller...so what?!
Other than a gift shop employee
making me feel like the worst
mother in the world
(which I told her she had done)
it was a good day at the Zoo.

Gabriel checking out the Zebra.

Mommy Panda & 2 baby Panda Bears.
The real Pandas were out pretty far
so we only got a limited look at them.

Gabriel dancing...of course!

We got up close with the Gorillas.
There was a baby playing &
hanging onto his momma.
The boys & I stayed and
watched them for a long time.
This was a highlight for us:)

Gabriel & Liam each got a lollipop
from the Zoo gift shop.
Liam is a first timer:)

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Day 2

Children's Museum

Liam plays with pegs.
There wasn't much else here for his age.

Gabriel decorates a cupcake.

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Lincoln Memorial

Sneaking a kiss from my "Sugar Booger."

Trying to get two boys to pose for a picture
at the top of the stairs to the
Lincoln Memorial is tough.

Gabriel walked down ALL of the steps
holding mommy's hand.

Gabriel is a chick magnet and I don't mean
that figuratively. He LITERALLY attracts
girls of all ages with his good looks, charm, &
amazing dance moves;) This woman
(who we believe to be an Italian tourist)
was gushing over him. She kept saying how
beautiful the boys were and how amazing it was
that they shared the same birthday. She then
asked if she could hold Gabriel.
She kissed and hugged him
while he soaked up the attention. She then,
asked to have her picture taken with him.
The pictures are blurry because we were so
taken aback by her "enthusiasm."
I will say this...she was beautiful!
Gabriel is going to do very well for himself;)

Back the hotel. Tired after a long day & bath.

March 13-16, 2011 Washington DC

2011-05-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Washington DC
March 13-16

Chester had a conference so we tagged along.

Day 1
Washington Monument

Day 1
World War II Monument

I love pictures of all my guys together!

My husband is gorgeous!
It just had to be said;)

There was an amazing sunset.
I love how the setting sun is
kissing his sweet face:)

Couple of cuties enjoying the fountains
and flat "running" surface of WWII Monument.

Gabriel with Mommy w/
Washington Monument in background.

End of January

2011-05-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Things my boys enjoy doing:

Sitting on the kitchen floor...

and eating whatever he can find.

The game Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Coloring with crayons.

January 18, 2011 Birthday III

2011-05-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

January 18, 2011
BirthDAY Part 3

To end the day,
Gabriel, our little cookie monster, got a giant Cookie Monster cupcake &
Liam, our little swiper, got a Swiper cupcake.
Grama (Jamie's mom) skyped in to sing "Happy Birthday!"

Look at that face! He is thrilled!

Look at that face! He is not at all impressed.
This was the very first time Liam had been given ANY sugar-
He didn't know what to do & apparently he didn't like the taste.

Gabriel isn't sure where to start so he goes for the obvious...
the COOKIE!

January 18, 2011 Birthday II

2011-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

January 18, 2011
BirthDAY with Mommy & Daddy Part 2

Marbles Children's Museum.
Quite possibly the best children's museum EVER!

Gabriel's favorite part is the large play kitchen & store.
They also have this same shopping cart at the birthing center boutique where we often go to shop, visit our friends, and play. He looves this shopping cart!!

Liam's first birthday!
He's just starting to walk but is not yet steady on his feet.
He can pull himself onto toys and crawl pretty fast so,
he got around pretty good. He had fun!

I was on the other side of this fish tank making
faces at the boys and waving.

Our little dancer, Gabriel.
There was a choice of 4 different
styles of music and he kept pushing the "Australia" button.
He was a dancing machine!

January 18, 2011 Birthdays!!

2011-05-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Liam!

Happy 2nd Birthday Gabriel!

Gabriel & Liam woke up to a inflated bounce house filled with 18 balloons.

Liam wasn't so sure about the bounce house.
He was a little afraid of being pounced on by his big brother:(

Gabriel went crazy! It was such a thrill to see him enjoying his [shared] birthday gift.
We couldn't actually get a picture of him that wasn't a total blur-He was a jumping machine!

Gabriel opening his birthday card from Lola & Lolo.
It makes Monkey sounds and they both play with it still today:)

I forgot to mention the table was decorated with confetti, balloons, noise makers, and
dinosaurs (aka friends to eat breakfast with us).

Seriously should one woman be so lucky?!
I cannot even begin to explain how amazing it feels to know I am the mother of these two miraculous boys born on the SAME day [one year apart]! God has a funny sense of humor;)

Gabriel's #1 Pinata.

2010-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

April 21, 2010
Since Liam was born on Gabriel's birthday & we got the Norovirus the following weekend which was the weekend we had scheduled a birthday party at Kidzu, a children's museum in Chapel Hill we never had a chance to use the #1 birthday pinata we had bought and filled for Gabriel's party. On a random day when our neighbors, Conner & Kylene, came over we decided just to pull it out and bust it open. We thought we'd get a chance to celebrate his b-day another time but it just didn't happen so this was a good alternative. The kids thought it was so fun, especially Connor (he's 4 so I think he got more out of it than Gabriel & Kylene);)

It was a pull pinata designed for little kids. Gabriel seems confused. We had to encourage them to pull REALLY hard but it was kind of tough. Ribbon after ribbon and no sign of candy meant we had to move to using a miniature baseball bat
(thanks Grampa Frank for the Cincinnati Reds baseball bat!).

Yikes, stand back, these kids are wild with the bat!

Gabriel has a bat in one hand and a pastry brush in the other-the two have nothing to do with one another. Gabriel just loves to tote this pastry brush (?) thingy around the apartment. He carries it everywhere and whacks things he shouldn't and occasionally we have to take it away.

A note to our blog fans

2010-06-22T21:01:00.001-07:00

The Costales' never have a dull moment. We are busy from sun up to sun down and all the hours in between which is why we rarely find the time to blog:( I know some of you check the blog regularly and we feel flattered so to you blog fans, you know who you are, we are sorry. Once we get settled into our new HOUSE we will try very hard to get caught up. Stay tuned!

Silly Beans, Gabriel

2010-05-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2010

Gabriel decides that HE wants to sit in the Bumbo even though we have it out for Liam.

May 6, 2010

A toothbrush in one hand and a piece of licorice in the other.

May 11, 2010

Just trying on Gabriel's old Halloween costume just for fun;)

NC Coast-Kill Devil Hills, Outerbanks

2010-04-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

April 29, 2010

Chet wearing Liam in the "Moby" wrap. This picture was too precious not to blog.

The Costales Family at the beach.
Liam is staying out of the sun and staying warm in a sun hat and towel.

Our Carolina boy.

Just another day at the beach with my boys:)

NC Coast-Kill Devil Hills, Outerbanks

2010-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is how Liam enjoyed the beach-from the comfort of the Bjorn;)

Daddy trying to let Gabriel enjoy the water without letting him run in completely.

These crazy "sea birds" were swooping down and almost attacking us! I thought it would be a good idea for Gabriel and I to feed them bread. No, it was NOT a good idea. It went from 2 birds to 20 birds in seconds and they were ALL hungry!

I didn't know what to do and I was actually really scared so I dropped the bread, held Gabriel tightly and ran for the beach/water. I tried screaming and shooing them away but it only made the them more interested? After that Gabriel was terrified of the "sea birds":( He would see them coming and hear them squawking and come over to me to be picked up. Sorry Boo Boo I didn't meant to scare you. I should have used better judgment. Hopefully you will forget about it before we go back to the beach;)

Kill Devil Hills, Outerbanks, Aquarium

2010-04-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2010

Aquarium @ Outerbanks.

NC Coast-Kill Devil Hills, Outerbanks

2010-04-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Liam was still too young for much beach activity. We wanted to keep him warm and cute so we dressed him in this giraffe suit (Chet picked it out...ha ha!!).

I honestly have no idea what Gabriel is doing here. Digging? He's such a funny little guy. He thought the beach was a blast! I think his favorite activity was collecting sticks, rocks, and shells. He would bring them to me and I couldn't stand the idea of giving them back to the beach. I know taking stuff from nature is wrong but I am so sentimental and I couldn't help myself;)

NC Coast-Kill Devil Hills, Outerbanks

2010-04-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2010

North Carolina, Outerbanks, Kill Devil Hills

Gabriel loved the beach and went straight for the water. It was sunny but chilly. There was no way we were going to let him swim on such a cold day. Not to mention the waves were rolling in pretty good. He cried when we pulled him out of the water. We had to chase after him and block him from the water. It was tiring for us and frustrating for him. He managed to get away from us once and got knocked down by a wave. He ate sand, got cold, and cried. He didn't try to run in after that. In fact, we had to coax him into the water the following 2 days when it was hot.

Liam & Mommy

2010-04-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Liam & Mommy

3.25.2010

3.28.2010

Liam

2010-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

April 5, 2010

Liam Stone just hanging out.

I want my cup back.

2010-04-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Why don't toddlers want to use their own cups?

It doesn't matter how many different types of cups we offer Gabriel he only wants to drink from whatever we are drinking from. I am wondering when the day will come that i'll get my dinner fork and cup back? Also, why does he prefer to drink out of sippy cups that are not his own? Whenever he is around his little friend, Kylene, he always wants her sippy cup and she wants his and when she's no longer thirsty Gabriel holds the cup up to her mouth until she takes a drink. Toddlers are such a mystery to me. They are so FUN at this age!

Play date with Lyla

2010-04-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

April 12, 2010

Play date with Lyla

We met our little friend, Lyla, and her Mom, Arlene, at our favorite cosignment shop in Carborro, The Red Hen, where I insisted on buying Lyla that pink tutu. We then went to Elmo's for lunch and finally to C. H. Wilson Park.

Yep, that's a stick in Gabriel's hand and a wallet in Lyla's hand.

So funny to see the differences in boys and girls from such a young age.

What a cute pair!

Gabriel loves to swing!

After such a big day he's wiped out. We're home and ofcourse he fell asleep in the car after a few minutes. Note: He still has the stick in his hand. I think we might actually still have that stick in the car...lol!

Four in the bed.

2010-04-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

April 10, 2010
"There were four in the bed and the little one said..."

The boys and I have been so lucky to have Chester home with us. Both boys get lots of attention and we make sure to have fun each day. One of my favorite things about Chester being home is that we all get to cuddle up together in the morning and at nap times. This particular picture was taken in Gabriel's bed just after nap time.

2010-04-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2010

Easter Day

After a morning of looking through his Easter basket, devouring M&M's, & playing with his new toys Gabriel is pooped and Liam, well, he's always pooped;) I thought it was so sweet when I found these three snoozing.

Lunch @ Red Robin.

Gabriel thinks he's big time because he's sitting in a big chair with his own cup & straw.

Herman Charles Wilson Park in Carborro.

Today is the day we learn that Gabriel loves to play in the sand. He didn't want to play anywhere else in the park, accept the swing ofcourse. When we put him in the car he had a complete fit! This is how we know Gabriel really likes something;)

Easter Morning

2010-04-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2010

Easter Morning

Gabriel looking through his Easter basket with Mommy.

Gabriel gets m&m's in his basket and doesn't care about anything else;)

M&M's are a new treat to Gabriel and he looooves them.

His lips were turning red & green & blue.

He loves them so much that when he couldn't get them out fast enough he'd dump them on the floor and then pick them up and eat them as fast as he could get them in his little mouth. Oh, who are we kidding...Gabriel eats food off the floor ALL the time...ha ha!!

When we took them away, figuring he had had enough, he had a major tantrum.

Liam enjoys the bath!

2010-04-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2010

Liam loves the water just like his big brother.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2010

Easter Egg Hunt

Chapel Hill, NC

Our friends/neighbors, the Kubiks, invited us to their church egg hunt. We made it just in time for "kick off" and the hunt is ON! We had to find the eggs and point them out to Gabriel and then talk him into picking up the eggs. He wasn't too competitive when it came to collecting but he sure had fun being outdoors on a sunny day.

Gabriel & Kylene comparing their eggs.

Gabriel showing off his basket. Funny thing is there's only about 3 eggs in it;) Kylene's a smarty and has quickly figured out that the eggs contain candy-Gabriel has no clue.

Gabriel & Aiden Then & Now

2010-04-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Gabriel & Aiden

Newborns

Toddlers

April 19/20, 2010

2010-04-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2010

April 20, 2010

Sleeping Angel Liam 3.6.10

2010-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

March 6, 2010

Sleeping Angel Liam

Precious Baby Bear Liam 3.6.10

2010-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

March 6, 2010

Baby Bear Liam

Liam & Mommy 3.5.10

2010-03-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

March 5, 2010

Liam & Mommy

Cuddling with my sweet baby boy.

Grandma Elizabeth bought him this Little Giraffe blanket and it's super soft.

Life is good.

It's so strange to be going through this process so soon after having Gabriel. There are so many times that Chester and I feel a little weirded out because Liam looks so much like Gabriel and since they are born on the same day all of Gabriel's clothes are in season for Liam which means we have to label pictures so we know who's who.

Baby Bear Liam 3.5.10

2010-03-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

March 5, 2010

Liam wearing his baby bear hat.

I ordered this hat from Etsy and it finally arrived in today's mail so we had to put it on him to make sure it fit;) Can't wait for this to be worn on picture day!

Liam's cranky face when he stretches.

My snoozing baby bear.

Sink Bath for Liam 3.3.10

2010-03-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

March 3, 2010

Liam taking a bath in the sink.

Silly Bug Liam 3.2.10

2010-03-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

March 2, 2010

Silly Bug Liam

Silly Bugs 3.2.10

2010-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Silly Bugs

March 2, 2010

Two Silly Bugs.

We had to get a few pictures since this is their first matching outfit. A friend of ours, Joy L., sent Liam these preemie pajamas and it turns out we had the same ones for Gabriel. I was super excited to dress them in their first matching outfit!! Yes, I plan to be one of those moms who dresses their boys alike especially since they share a birthday and are only a year apart;)

Gabriel is torn between playing with his brother or with his $2. camping whisk he picked out on our most recent trip to REI.

People ask us all the time if Gabriel was or has been jealous of Liam and to be perfectly honest he has not been jealous for one single minute. We expected to see a lot of tears and needy/clingy behavior but much to our surprise we haven't had any of that. From the time we brought Liam home we let Gabriel touch his head and get up close to him. Gabriel pets his head softly and gives him kisses without any prompting. So sweet!

Oops, I think we are done with the brotherly bonding for now if you're going to whisk baby brother's head.

Gabriel being Gabriel

2010-03-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

March 6, 2010

Just another Saturday with Gabriel.

Gabriel's big boy haircut.

2010-03-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

Done.

Gabriel's 1st Haircut

2010-03-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

March 3, 2010

Gabriel gets his 1st haircut.

Before.

The shaggy look is on it's way out.

He seems to really enjoy it!

He didn't fuss or try to get up once!

Uhh...yeah!

2010-02-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

February 11, 2010

This is what happens when dad dresses Gabriel. Somehow we thought we were heading to a winter beach party, not the pediatrician. Are thos swim goggles around his neck?

More time in the clubhouse...Gabriel just found out that I decided to take a formal leave of absence from school. Oh, and he finally realized that he does indeed have a mullet in the making. Not sure why it's so funny.

Liam - Day 24

2010-02-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

February 10, 2010

Another day, another bed in Pod F #52. Liam is now in a bassinet which seemed like a downgrade from his spacious crib. It was also car seat test day. He needed to tolerate it for at least 30 minutes to make sure he would be okay for the ride home. I think he ended up sleeping in it for 2 hours...he was probably trying to tell us he was ready to go.

Liam - Day 23

2010-02-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

February 9, 2010

More Liam pictures. Another day just hanging out in his crib.

Waiting...

2010-02-27T22:37:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2010

With the countdown to Liam's homecoming starting, Gabriel decided to set up his clubhouse in the living room. He and I tested it out by taking fake naps inside and out. When we aren't pretending to sleep, Gabriel likes to store all his random treasures like empty diet coke cardboard boxes, thermometers, and his truck inside.

Liam - Day 18

2010-02-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2010

Liam continued to progress through the NICU beds when they moved him to a crib. He also got sick of eating through a tube so he pulled it out himself sometime when nobody was looking. His nurses decided to see how he did on bottles only. Apparently he was ready because they never put his tube back.

Liam - Day 16

2010-02-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

February 2, 2010

Another night in the NICU. Thanks to a few good friends and neighbors, we were able to visit Liam together some evenings. Most days, we either visited separately while the other stayed home. Or, we would take turns entertaining Gabriel in the hallways of the hospital...H1N1 season = no children visitors. We now know where every vending machine, bathroom, gift shop, and cafe is at UNC hospital.

Liam - Day 14

2010-02-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

January 31, 2010

Liam transitioned to an isolette type bed since he no longer needed his temperature to be constantly monitored. Also his feeding tube got re-routed through his nose because he took his first bottle the night before - Big Boy!!! He seemed pretty happy about it...who would ever think sending anything through your nose would be more comfortable?

NC Winter Storm Blast 2010

2010-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

January 30, 2010

Jamie and Gabriel enjoying the snow in front of our apartment. This was Gabriel's first real experience out in the snow since we didn't get out and play during earlier snow storms. Also, this was the most we've had here in NC since we've been here (~4-6 inches). We knew that REI garage sale snow suit would finally come in handy.

Liam - Day 10

2010-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2010

Liam finally got off his CPAP machine and phototherapy. Instead he got to sleep with this fake green (Zaky?) hand for comfort, which he seemed to enjoy. At this point, he still needed help regulating his temperature.

Liam with Grandma Elizabeth before she had to go back home.

Liam - Day 4 & 5

2010-02-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2010

January 22, 2010

Liam - Day 3

2010-01-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2010

Liam's bilirubin levels were increasing so they are treating him with phototherapy. He has to stay under the lamp and sleep on a blanket that makes him look like a glow worm wearing sunglasses until his levels start going down.

Liam - Day 2

2010-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2010

Liam had to go back on his CPAP machine to help him to remember to breathe because he was having multiple apnea episodes. Chet thinks he looks like a little SCUBA diver with all his gear on. Here he is getting is first diaper change by dad in the NICU. We also got to hold him for about half an hour.

Gabriel's 1st Birthday

2010-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday Gabriel!

Since Liam was born on Gabriel's birthday we didn't get a chance to take him out for the day as we had planned so our friend, Catie, who came to take care of Gabriel brought him to the hospital for a quick visit. He wasn't allowed anywhere except for the lobby & cafeteria so I got a ride downstairs and had a slice of cake with Gabriel, Chet, and Catie. We sang happy birthday and let Gabriel dig into his first piece of cake. It wasn't exactly what we had in mind for his first birthday but under the circumstances it was as good as we could manage.

Baby Boy #2

2010-01-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

Liam Stone Costales

January 18, 2010

6:07AM

4 lbs 4.8 oz.

17.75 inches

born at 32 weeks (8 weeks early)

first Heels basketball game

2010-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Breaking in his new jersey before the big game.

Callie is the best dog. She allows Gabriel to "torture" her. Sometimes he's gentle with her.

Having so much fun with daddy at the game!

Actually he's flirting with the little girl who sat behind us.

2009-12-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

December 16, 2009

Day 2

Last night went MUCH better than expected. Gabriel did wake at 9:45pm and chet had to go in and comfort him (in his crib) but he quieted down easily. I had my IPod up loud and had started doing dishes and cleaning like a maniac to keep distracted and it really worked to keep my mind off of Gabriel. After quite a while I went in to the doorway/hallway of Gabriel's room to see what Chet was doing because he had been in there for well over an hour. I thought maybe chet had fallen asleep on the floor;) He came out because I didn't dare go in...that's the second part of my plan...DON'T GO IN BABY'S ROOM! Chet said Gabriel would continue to wake up and give a little cry and that all he needed was a "hug" from the side of his crib and he would lay back down.

I finally went to bed after 11pm. At 7:30AM my guys crawled into bed with me and we all had a nice little sleep/cuddle for another two hours (well Gabriel and I did but chet was off to work).

I am very impressed with how well we all handled our new plan and i'm really looking forward to [eventually] having a date night with my husband-that's my prize;)

2009-12-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

December 15, 2009

The End of Co-Sleeping

December 15, 2009

Day 1

So, tonight is the first of many nights where Gabriel will be sleeping in his own bed in his own bedroom. I am sad. I am trying to find ways to keep my mind off our new sleeping "arrangement" hence the blogging. I am sitting here with my IPod cranked and listening to One Night in Bangkok and other crazy/loud songs that keep me distracted. So far it's working:)

Chet rocked him to sleep at 8:20 after I gave him a bottle. Somehow he managed to lay him down in his bed without him waking up & crying...MIRACLE! It's now 9:30pm and he's still sleeping or at least I think he's sleeping (my IPod is really up loud). Until tomorrow.

DaDdy & GaBrIeL

2009-11-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

I'm afaid Gabriel is going to think I was never around because i'm never in the pictures...ha ha!! It's just so difficult for me to pass up any opportunity to take pics of Gabriel and Chet together because they are so adorable. I think they have a special bond.

This is the reason we still co-sleep. Generally it's mommy and Gabriel snoozing in the bed while Daddy studies/reads on his laptop in the other rooom but on weekends Daddy gets a turn to take a cuddle nap. Our son is so cuddly. He always wants to be held against our chest and nuzzle up to our neck. Sometimes it's like he's a newborn all over again. It can be tough at times when we are exhausted and he wants to sleep right on top of us or in our face BUT we know this phase will not last forever so we try to remember how lucky we are to have a little luv bug.

A glimpse into the future-Gabriel and his Daddy putting furniture together. Chester is so patient. Gabriel crawled all over the pieces and ate power cords and basically was into everything but Chet was so easy about it. I hope that Gabriel learns patience from him because he sure will not get it from his mommy...ha ha!!

I took a nap (on my own) and when I emerged from the room Chet informed me that Gabriel fell asleep in his tent and took a nap in there. Here's the pics to prove it. Chet is determined to make Gabriel LOVE sleeping in a tent!

Gabriel's new fleece from Grama. We are off to Gabriel's FIRST Tarheels Basketball game thanks to Dr. Thakker for giving us his tickets. We had a great time! More pics to follow.

HaLLoWeeN CaNdY

2009-11-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

We made a last minute change to our Halloween night plans and took Gabriel trick or treating to a nice neighborhood in Chapel Hill that I read [randomly] online was a festive neighborhood. It sure was FuN! All the people were out on their porches chatting with their neighbors and sipping Wine. Chet and I had never seen anything like it. It was a warm night (about 73 degrees). Trick or treating in NC is a lot different than in WA. All the families were so happy to see Gabriel and said the nicest things to us about how lucky we were and how much we should enjoy him at this age. It was a really nice night for our little family:)

Gabriel got lots of candy! We let him chew on the wrappers and shake the boxes of Nerds and other treats. He really seemed happy:)

Here he is "counting" and "sorting" his treats. Mommy and Daddy ate most of it;)

So, as I said, he liked to chew on the boxes but once they got soggy we took them away so he couldn't actually eat the candy that was inside. I went into the other room (I was sick so I have a good excuse for not paying attention to him) and Chet said that he'd keep an eye on him and that "there was really nothing he could get into." I came out of the bathroom and around the corner to find my husbands back turned to the sink and my son eating Nerds off the floor.

I hate it when i'm right [like ALL the time!].

Me: 'Um, Chet, our son is eating Nerds off the floor.'

Chet: "Oh my gosh, Gabriel, how did you get them open?!"

Gabriel thinking to himself: How many Nerds can I get into my mouth before these get taken away?! Yum, these are really good. It pays to have early fine motor skills;)

more PuPpY

2009-11-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

TrUnK or TrEaT & PupPy

2009-11-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors & good friends invited us to their church for a chilli cook off and "trunk or treating" so ofcourse we accepted the invitation. This is a picture of our "trunk" decorated in a spider theme. We had a drop down spider and a strobe light so it was pretty cool...if I do say so myself;) We all had a lot of fun!

The following morning (10-25-09) we tried to put Gabriel in his puppy costume that we were sure wouldn't fit (which is why we bought the lion costume) but IT FIT and we were so excited! We took him out strolling in it and then to costco and finally had a little photo shoot in front of the office at our apartment complex. He's the one in the middle...ha ha!!

Forget about the pumpkin patch-Gabriel had so much fun chewing on these pumpkins and eating little pieces of Hay in front of the office.

BoUnCe HoUsE

2009-11-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Little Lion

2009-11-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Happy little Lion with his egg from the hunt.

Gabriel loves to be outdoors and he especially loves to crawl around.

Gabriel with our neighbor/his good friend Kylene. She's so sweet with him. She takes away his toy and then tries to feed it back to him;) She also thinks it's her "job" to make sure he has his pacifier. She's such a sweetie pie! Gabriel is very fond of her.

October FuN

2009-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Gabriel is in [usual] happy mood. Yes, he's wearing a hat indoors because one of his favorite activities is crawling outside on the [fenced in] patio and it's a little chilly out there.

A candy egg hunt at our apartment's HalLowEen party.

The little Lion "finds" and egg with daddy's help.

HFDC Final Message

2009-06-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Father's Day Chet aka Daddy!

Chester-Gabriel, Louie, Callie, and myself love you soooo much! I hope you know how much we appreciate all that you do for us and the sacrifices you make to keep us happy and well. I cannot believe we've been parents to a beautiful son for 5 months. I am looking forward to watching our son grow and seeing him take after you.

Happy Father's Day!

LOVE, Jamie (& Gabriel)

HFDC Part 6

2009-06-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Don't take life too seriously! Forgive easily! Laugh & smile often! Just have FUN & enjoy!!

Gabriel's mommy takes life a little too seriously at times and that is why her husband is her "better" half-he is so easy going. I hope Gabriel takes after his father and becomes a kid that can just enjoy life and not worry about things too much.

HFDC Part 5

2009-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

My Daddy taught me...

How to stand [and eventually how to walk].

To enjoy sports and most importantly, Carolina basketball.

To "read" medical journals...ha ha!!

Chester, I look forward to seeing Gabriel learn from you. I know that you have so much knowledge to pass on to your son. I think that you will be able to teach Gabriel the value of adollar, how to treat women with respect, how to steer clear of trouble & stay on the right path, how to love, to be patient and to be kind.

HFDC Part 4

2009-06-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Like Father like Son.

One of the things I enjoy most about having a baby boy is seeing the likeness to his father. In utero we were already making guesses as to who our baby most resembled and my thoughts all along were that our baby would be like Chet or maybe that's just what I hoped since Chet has so many great qualities and is a phenomenal person.

HFDC Part 3

2009-06-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Your devotion and d

HFDC Part 2

2009-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

I love how you supposedly read in the baby book(s) that babies like to be "breathed on" and you'd get right up to Babriel and breeaathe...see that works! One of the many things I love about you, as a father, is that you actually READ baby books;)

Honey you are a champ when it comes to multitasking/juggling work/school and family!! I am really amazed at how well you are able to cope with the lack of sleep, demands of fatherhood, taking care of the dogs, and kicking booty in school. I know you wish you could be getting things done faster at school and want you to know that we are behind you 100%!! We are here to help if you need it/want it.

PS Gabriel is eating my hand and hitting the keyboard so I hope this posts.

Remember when you just has to have this toy for Gabriel? You're so sweet. I remember we were standing in the toy aisle and I was patting Gabriel's back and just as this couple walked by Gabriel let out the HUGEST belch! Remember that? The couple totally cracked up and so did we...aaah, the joys of parenting a boy;)

It's hard to remember what he was like when he was thing young/little. Look how big his pants are around his tummy-he's like a little old man with his pants hiked up that far...lol!

Happy Father's Day Chet!

2009-06-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Just a shout out to the best husband and father a wife and son could know.

January 18, 2009

Gabriel Stone Costales

Honey, remember how you coached me through 4 hours of at home labor and then 4 more hours of pushing?...you were my hero, my rock, my support, and really the most amazing coach and husband a wife could have asked for! After all the hard work i'll never forget how our midwife giggled and exclaimed..."It's a BOY!" I am so glad we decided to keep it a surprise and that we got to experience the entire process together.

You're a natural!

Remember how we all laid down and took a nap as a new little family? It was the best nap I have ever taken and it is certainly the most memorable. I hope we get many more family naps.

Our tiny "little Chet"

UNC (in the Fall)

2009-06-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Clock Tower on Campus.

Old Well. Drink from it and it will make you smart. We have gallons of it saved up.

more Mother's Day

2009-06-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Our happy family on my first mom's day. We spent the night at the Lake House and were lucky enough to wake up to a beautiful and sunny day. The background/view of the lake is stunning. My mom made us a delicious brunch/breakfast and we just enjoyed the day. We had to go home that day because Chet had to get back to school so the remaining hours we spent in the car headed back to NC with a stop for dinner at Cracker Barrell. All in all it was a good day.

Gabriel with Grandma & Grandpa...too cute!

Picture perfect! Maybe this picture should be in a brochure for Ziebell home-building-the caption could read..."For a good life and a happy family contact the Ziebell family to start planning for your home in Kentucky."

Gabriel ADORES his Grandma!!

Mother's Day in Kentucky

2009-06-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

Gabriel & Mommy after my new haircut

2009-06-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Daddy playing Guitar

2009-06-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Chet joined us in Cincinnati on May 7th after he completed the second portion of his qualifying exams which was a presentation of his proposal. He passed on the spot! We were and still are sooooo proud of him!! He has been working hard to balance school and home and he's doing a fantastic job! I met him at the airport with Congrats balloons and in the car I had a celebratory 4 pack of Rootbeer and a card but the real gift was at the house. As a late birthday, early father's day, and congratulations gift Gabriel and I bought him this new guitar. We took it to the florest and had them put a BIG bow on it then we hid it in my parents house so when I gave Chet the "tour" I was like, "Hey, this is for you." He was very surprised!

Gabriel is enjoying the show.

How cute are these two?!

Gabriel thinks his daddy has skills!

Baby Boy

2009-06-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Frank and Edie Ziebell (Frank Ziebell-my step father's parents) sent Gabriel a box of cute clothes, toys, shoes, and more. We think this Baby Boy outfit is adorable AND it hast the added bonus of saving me from answering the question...boy or girl? He's a BOY people!...ha ha!!

Love the Peanut big and matching hat (not shown here) from Frank & Edie. We call him Peanut from time to time so it was a perfect fit for our little Peanut.

Baby Birds & Misc.

2009-06-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

In the Lilac Tree in my parents yard there was a nest with 4 Robin Eggs and one by one they hatched and we got to witness the first hours of life for these little birds. I was totally excited!! I couldn't stop checking in on them. I think i'm ready to be a Doula;)

Seriously?! Aren't these teh cutest little things ever?!

Grandma, Gabriel, and Lucy getting ready for a bath. Well, just Gabriel was taking a bath but Lucy likes to be involved in just about everything so she's "helping" my mom run the water;)

After a family "swim" in the tub Gabriel falls asleep on Chet...he's just too pooped!

"Swimming" in Grandma's BIG bathtub!

2009-06-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

Gabriel LOVES the water! Here he's practicing his kicking.

I think the big smile on his face says it all...this is my water baby:)

Aaaah, these are the moments that make being a mother so grand!

Walking with Great Aunt Chrissie

2009-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Great Aunt Chrissie (my aunt) at her gorgeous condo in Cincinnati. We decided to take a walk over the bridge into Kentucky to have lunch. It was a long walk that the weather wasn't so good BUT the Black Bean Burgers we ate were sure delicious!

Gabriel with Great Aunt Chrissie

This was BEFORE our walk.

This was AFTER our walk. He was pooped although, i'm not sure quite why because I did ALL the walking and he just rode and slept in the Moby...ha ha!!

Lake House

2009-06-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Lake House, Kentucky

2009-06-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Gabriel and I left Chapel Hill at 9:30 AM on Friday, May 1st for Monticello, Kentucky to visit Grandma (my mom) at their beautiful new Lake House on Lake Cumberland (sp?). It was a looooong drive and not one of my best ideas:( I thought I could handle an 8 hour drive with a 3.5 month old it turned out to be somewhat of a disaster. Gabriel screamed in the backseat and I had to stop SIX times to calm him down. We even stopped at a hotel and checked in for the night but I really didn't want to stay in the "Quality" Inn for the night especially since it wasn't so quality so we got back on the road and after a long and stressful drive we arrived in Monticello around 11pm.

Happy to be with Grandma in her new Lake House!

I think the shirt says it all.

Laundry-Where's Baby?

2009-06-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like on laundry "day" around our house. Where's Gabriel?

Here he is, sitting on a pile of blankets.

Easter Bucket

2009-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Gabriel in his Easter bucket Grandma bought him.

Gabriel eating the bucket.

No, we don't normally store our baby in a bucket. This was just a special occasion because it was Easter and he really wanted to sit in the bucket...ha ha!!